Fast bowler Nuwan Pradeep didn't play with a cricket ball till he was 20 but less than three years later he was in Sri Lanka's Test squad. He won a pace contest in 2007, impressing the talent scouts in a soft-ball event, and was sent straight to Sri Lanka Cricket's academy. He follows in the Sri Lankan tradition of maverick bowlers with unconventional actions. Like Lasith Malinga, he has a slinging action and has troubled many batsmen in domestic cricket with his pace, generated from a long run-up. Pradeep toured Sri Lanka A to Australia in 2010, where he was among the quickest bowlers from both sides though he didn't bag many wickets. Less than a month later, he was rewarded with a call-up to the national squad for the second Test against India.Cricinfo Staff July 2010